Le Pen Calls French Officials' Urge to Wear Turtlenecks 'Infantilization' of Citizens

PARIS (Sputnik) - French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Tuesday accused the country's authorities of "infantilizing" the population for encouraging people to wear warm clothes to save on heating amid the energy crisis in Europe.

"A few days ago, Economy and Finance Minister [Bruno Le Maire] explained to us that the French budget is calculated 'up to every euro'. This came before the wardrobe tips to spend the winter better, which were successful in the government, from warm sweatshirts to turtlenecks. I will not participate in this infantilization of our compatriots," Le Pen said at the National Assembly's meeting.

Earlier this week, French media noted that many politicians have started wearing winter clothes, despite the warm weather, in order to promote energy-saving measures.

On September 27, Le Maire tweeted a photo of himself smiling and wearing a blue turtleneck in his office. The minister said that employees of his department will dress warmer, wearing turtlenecks instead of ties to save energy.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne also came to the meeting wearing a warm jacket after her speech on Monday about France's readiness for the looming winter, despite the gas shortage in Europe.

On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron recorded a video message to citizens, wearing a jacket and a turtleneck, which has become a new symbol of an energy sobriety program launched by the French government this summer.

According to the program, France needs to reduce electricity consumption by 10% by 2024 to avoid shortages during the impending winter. The government called on enterprises and transport companies to submit concrete plans to reduce energy consumption. The government’s energy-saving plans include limiting the heating in public buildings and government ministries to a maximum of 19 degrees Celsius.

Since 2021, energy prices in Europe have been surging as part of a global trend. After the beginning of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022 and the adoption of several packages of sanctions against Moscow by the West, fuel prices have accelerated the growth, pushing many EU governments to resort to contingency measures.